#38 Pedal for People

Biking 20 miles was hardly what I had in mind for #38.....this was a compromise but sometimes life is about compromises.

Doing a bike ride is what started this whole "List" thing to begin with. You see, in June of 2009, I heard about this bike ride called "America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride - Lake Tahoe". It is a 72 mile bike ride around Lake Tahoe. Lake Tahoe is such a beautiful place that when I heard about this ride I decided I had to do it. I thought to myself, if I can do this ride, well then I can do anything, so maybe I should challenge myself?! Maybe I should use my parents idea of doing 40 things in a year (they do it for big anniversary celebration years) and count the ride as one......and thus, "the list" was born.

So last year for my birthday I purchased myself a bike with the intention of getting ready for this ride in June......but life had other plans.

Some of you may know that in December my father was diagnosed with metastatic esophageal cancer. At the time of his diagnosis he was very sick. Even though the ride is in June, you have to register for America's Most Beautiful Ride on January 1st and pay $100 for the ride and it tends to sell out quickly. Due to the curve ball that had been thrown at my family, I had no idea what 6 months down the road would hold for us and the thought of traveling so far away when things were so up in the air, well I decided that perhaps I should look for a ride closer to home.

The benefit of looking for a ride here in Rochester was then I could rope one of my friends (Ms. M)--my ever faithful sidekick, into participating with me. So we decided to do the 40 mile option for the Tour de Cure for Diabetes in Rochester in June.....well, that WAS the plan.

Until, I came home from Ethiopia in late April after being sick in Ethiopia with lingering respiratory illness that lasted 3 weeks and joint pains that lasted months. I felt SO terrible that there was no way I could train and be ready for the first week in June. So we searched for another option.

Pedal for People http://www.pedalforpeople.com/ was a perfect option! It is a flexible charity ride where I set up the ride, the distance, the location, the team, the sponsors.....it just had to be over Labor day weekend and then the monies raised went to the Clean Water Fund for World Vision. Perfect! So I decide that I am going to do 40 miles (for my 40 years of course) on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend.

Until 7/3 I fell in a hole and injured my foot. The injury was severe enough that I had complications and require surgery in September.....So I can't walk at all. The good news? Believe it or not, it does not really hurt to bike.....the bad news? I don't realize this until my leg is so deconditioned that there is NO way I can do 40 miles. SOOOOOOO, I got out on a bike a bit and probably the max I had ever ridden was 10 miles (which is the maximum I have ever ridden bad or good leg!).

The forecast for labor day weekend was Saturday-rains and high winds, Sunday morning rain, Monday beautiful. So we decide to post-pone our ride until Monday morning. Monday morning I get up, and at first the sun is shining and I think hallelujah.......but the sun quickly vanishes and as I am packing things up the clouds roll in and as I drive to meet Ms. M light rain it sprinkling on my car.

Now, I've already decided even though it is cool (its only 60) and slightly raining I'm going. THIS IS THE ONE THING ON THE LIST I HAVE TO DO! No matter what. Even if she follows me in the car and I have to do it alone, I have to do this, I don't know why but I know I must. But I got to her house and her attitude was great, she said....we have biked in the rain before, its no problem. And you know, it WAS no problem, because just as we got outside, the rain stopped!

We had someone drop us and our bikes in the village of Spencerport to start our ride. We then rode along the canal path the entire time. We stopped near the midway point for a refill on water and a little rest (our ride met us with supplies) and then we stopped at Ms. M's house--she lives off the canal for pit stop and then our final destination was Shoen Place, Pittsford where my Odometer clicked the 20 mile mark and we celebrated with lunch at Aladdins.

The weather was perfect. It was not sunny, so you did not have to worry about the sun beating down on you making you hot. It was cool, but not cold so we were comfortable in our light windbreakers and pants. Honestly, what I thought was "crummy" weather ended up being rather pleasant biking weather. The ride along the canal was beautiful in spots and it was nice to see the areas that I had never been to before.

I am proud of myself for riding 20 miles despite the foot injury. And as a friend pointed out to me, if Ms. M rode 20 and I rode 20, well there is the 40 that I needed for my list! I wish I had ridden further, but I guess that is something I will have to strive to do when I'm 40.

This process that enforced that I have what it takes to persevere in the face of adversity when it comes to something that is important to me. For I know........"And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." Romans 5